goldstein



March 3l, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 26, 1961 March 31, 1964 A. H. GOLDSTEIN INsoLE UNITS FOR sHoEs 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1961 March 3l, 1964 A. H. GOLDSTEIN INSOLE UNITS FOR SHOES Filed June 26, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,126,650 [NSOLE UNITS FOR SHOES Alan H. Goldstein, Brookline, Mass. (176 Rangeley Road, Chestnut Hill 67, Mass.) Filed June 26, 1961, Ser. No. 119,491 Claims. (Cl. 156-22) rIihe present invention relates to ttootwear, particularly insole units therefor, and to the manufacture of such units.

'Iihe problems with which the invention is concerned are particularly 'well illustrated by welt shoes where it has long been desired to combine flexibility and a cushioned ellect, desir-ably with 4a reduction in Weight.

The provision ci footwear characterized by the above generally indicated attributes is the general objective of the invention in accordance With which a shoe has an insole unit comprising a base having a iull length insole layer characterized by its flexibility and a stitening layer attached thereto and extending from the heel area of the tull length layer forwardly and terminating in -a transverse, forwardly tapering, break-line shoulder.

The linsole unit preferably has a layer of cushioning material and this is so dilnensioned relative to the insole base that the cushioning layer rnay be itself marginally bonded to -the upper surface off the base and leave a border. A cover layer overlies the cushioning layer and is secured to the base, preferably along the border.

In practice, the cover layer is ot -a material that it substantially inextensible and, to avoid wrinkling, the cover layer is applied to the base unit while ilexed.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodiments of the invention from which these and other `of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily understood.

In the :drawings:

FIG. l is a bottom, plan view of Aan insole unit base in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is 4a longitudinal section of the insole unit illustrating the position oi the parts when the cover layer is secured,

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the completed unit, with various layers partly broken away, incorporated in a shoe sectioned along the generally 4indicated lines 4 4 ot FIG. 7,

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of the completed insole uni-t,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan View of an insole unit in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken transversely of the iore .part of a shoe in which the insole unit is incorporated.

'In `the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. l5 of the drawings, an insole base comprises a lull length layer 10 of a flexible material to which is attached, as by adhesive, a stilening layer .111 which extends forwardly from the heel area of the layer 1t? and terminates in a 4forwardly tapering, break-line shoulder 12. A sewing rib 13 is shown as secured to the margins of the bottom face of the thus established base. The layer 11 may be cemented, from end-to-end, to the layer 1t] or it may be only partly cemented thereto thus to enable a metal plate, not shown to be inserted between the heel portions of these layers to cause the clinching or heel nails, loosenailer nails, and heel seat nails. The embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. l-S is concerned with the latter case, while FIG. 7 shows the construction unit where the stifiening layer is cemented, tfrom end-to-end, to the full length ilexible layer, as when the last, not shown, has a rnetal heel plate.

rice i The upper tace of the insole base is provided Iwith a narrow cement coating d4, see FIG. 4, .along its margins which serves to marginally bond thereto .a layer 15 of cushioning material, typically ttoam or sponge rubber, to prevent its crawling, without limiting the resiliency of that layer. The layer l5 is slightly smaller than the insole base so as to provide a narrow border 16, continuously about it on the upper surface or the base to which border lthe margin of a cover layer 17 is also secured with its margin extending to the edge of the insole base.

In practice, the cover layer 17 is of material that is substantially inextensi-ble .and it is secured by cementing it Ito the border 16 while it is taut and the insole base, with the attached layer 15, is held in an indicated form 1S in a flexed position, as shown in FIG. 3. In practice, lthe .amount ot' ilex is such that the portion or' insole base rearwardly of the break-line is `at an angle approximately in the range of from 10 to 15 relative lto a plane inclusive of the portion forwardly of the break-line. Thereafter, the insole unit is completed by marginally stitching, as by the line of stitching 19, the cover layer 17 to the border 16.

lIn FIGS. 4 and 7, .the insole uni-t is shown as incorporated in a welt shoe with the sole structure and the upper struct-ure lbeing generally indicated at 2,0 and 21, respectively. As the shoe, structurally, is conventional except for the insole unit, neither its sole structure nor its upper structure will be further detailed.

.It will be noted, however, that the shoe meets the requirements of flexibility and cushioned effect and the construction of the insole unit lends itself to lesser weight than other shoes seeking to provide a cushioned insole. Among the reasons Why the objectives are `attained is that the full length layer oi the base of the unit may be thin and very exible while its stilening layer positively establishes the break-line or" the shoe. Another reason is that the cushioning layer is cemented to the base oi the unit marginally of the area occupied by the Afoot and that the cushioning layer is so dimensioned relative to the upper surface of the insole base as to provide a border to which the cover layer is secured. This last feature results in the margins of the insole un-i-t being of approximately -the thickness of a conventional insole and enables the cover layer to terminate Vat the edge of the insole base and, as a consequence, the stiffness that is inevitable, when a cover layer is wrapped :around an insole, is avoided. Additionally, the cover layer being applied While ythe base is ilexed, ensures tautness so that Wrinkling is eliminated.

The same advantages are attained when an insole unit, such las that shown in FIG. 6, is used. That insole is identical to that described except that, as has been pointed out, the layers it) and I11 are fully cemented together, so that neither Ithe cushioning layer ISA nor the cover layer 17A. can extend into the heel area since nailing is to be done again-st a plate on the last. After such nailing, a cushioning heel layer 15B is added which is like the corresponding part of the layer 15 and applied in the same manner. The heel layer 15B is covered by a heel pad 22 which is marginally stitched to the border 16A to complete the unit.

I claim:

l. In a shoe, an insole unit comprising lan insole base including a full length insole layer characterized by its flexibility and a stiiening insole layer extending from the heel area 4of the iirst named layer :forwardly and terminating in a transverse, forwardly tapered, break-line shoulder, a layer of cushioning material secured marginally to the upper sur-face oi said base and extending from the toe rearwardly through said break-line and dimensioned to have its edge spaced inwardly lof the edge of said insole layers to provide a border, and a cover layer freely overamaca() lying said layer of Vcushioning material and marginally secured to said base along said border, the size and shape of said base being at least squal to the size and shape of said cover layer.

2. `In a shoe, an insole unit comprising an insole base including a full length insole layer characterized by its flexibility and a stiffeninginsole layer extending from the heel area of the first named layer forwardly and terminating in a transverse, forwardly tapered, break-line shoulder, a sewing rib secured to the margin of the undersurface of said base, a. layer of cushioning material secured to the upper surface of said base and extending from the toe rearwardly through saidbreak-line and dimensioned to have its periphery spaced inwardly of the periphery of saidrbase to providefa border, and a cover layer freely overlying said layer of cushioning material and said border and marginally stitched to the upper surface of said base exteriorly `of said rib along said border, the size :and shape of the base being at least equal to thersize and. shape of the cover layer in the .zone common to the cushioning layer.

3. In a shoe, an insole unit comprising an insole base :includinga full length insole layer characterized .by its exibility and a .stiffening layer extending from the heel area of the first named layer forwardly and Iterminating in a transverse, lfonwardly tapering, break-line shoulder, a sewing rib secured to the margin `ofvrthe undersurface of said base, a layer of cushioning material secured to the upper surface of said base .and extendingfrom the .toe rearwardly through said break-line, said cushioning layer being spaced inwardly of the margin of said base to provide a border, and a cover layer of material that is substantially inextensible, said cover layer freely overlying said layer of cushioning material and marginally secured to-theupper surface of said Vbase alongsaid border, the size and shape of ythe base beingat least equal tothe size and Ishape o-f the cover layer in the zone corrnnon to the cushioning layer.

4. In a shoe, an insolerunit comprising an insole .base including a full length insole layer characterized by its flexibility-and .a stitfening layer extending from the heel area of the first named layer forwardly and terminating in a transverse, forwardly tapering, break-line shoulder, a sewing rib secured to the margin of the undersurface of said base, a layer of cushioning material secured to the upper surface of said base and extending from the toe rearwardly through said break-line, said cushioning layer being spaced inwardly of the margin of said base to provide a border, and a cover layer of material that is substantially inextensible, said cover layer freely overlying said layer of cushioning material and marginally stitched to the upper surface of said border exteriorly of said rib, said cover layer being taut when said insole assembly is flexed, with an end defining an angle approximately in the range of from 10 to 15 with a plane surface inclusive of the other end, the size and shape of the base :being at least equal to the ysize and shape of said cover layer in the zone common to the cushioning layer.

5. ln a shoe, an insole unit comprising a base including a full length insole layer characterized by its iiexibility and a stiifening layer extending from the heel area of the first named layer forwardly and terminating in a transverse, forwardly tapering, break-line shoulder, a layer of cushioning material extending rearwardly from the 'toe area and rearwardly through said break-line, the margin `of said cushioning layer being adhesively secured to the upper surface o-f said base, `and spaced inwardly of the edge thereof to provide a border, and a cover layer freely overlying said layer of cushioning material and marginally stitched to the upper surface of said border, `the size and shape of said base being at least equal to the size and shape of said cover layer in the zone common tothe cushioning layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,346,279 Stritter Apr. l1, 1944 2,548,266 Katz Apr. 10, 1951 2,595,894 Sherbrook May 6, 1952 3,009,270 Nacht NOV. 2l, 1961 

1. IN A SHOE, AN INSOLE UNIT COMPRISING AN INSOLE BASE INCLUDING A FULL LENGTH INSOLE LAYER CHARACTERIZED BY ITS FLEXIBILITY AND A STIFFENING INSOLE LAYER EXTENDING FROM THE HEEL AREA OF THE FIRST NAMED LAYER FORWARDLY AND TERMINATING IN A TRANSVERSE, FORWARDLY TAPERED, BREAK-LINE SHOULDER, A LAYER OF CUSHIONING MATERIAL SECURED MARGINALLY TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND EXTENDING FROM THE TOE REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID BREAK-LINE AND DIMENSIONED TO HAVE ITS EDGE SPACED INWARDLY OF THE EDGE OF SAID INSOLE LAYERS TO PROVIDE A BORDER, AND A COVER LAYER FREELY OVERLYING SAID LAYER OF CUSHIONING MATERIAL AND MARGINALLY SECURED TO SAID BASE ALONG SAID BORDER, THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF SAID BASE BEING AT LEAST SQUAL TO THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF SAID COVER LAYER. 